The Aftermath
by QueenReagan
Summary: When Oliver's villainous mom disappears, he's left broken and confused. Luckily, his best friend is there for him to lean on through this hard time.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so hiiii I'm Reagan. I'm extremely new to this website (It's so confusing help) Buttttt I'm trying it out so um. This is my first story on here, and it might suck, but I hope you like it anyways!**

 **"So... Now what?"**

 **It was the only question Kaz could ask. The fight with Oliver's mother ended only hours ago and the hospital had never felt so dead. Skylar was consoling Horace over the loss of his wife and Allen was eating the untouched wedding cake. Oliver had remained quiet for a good while and picked up little jobs to do so he could stay busy. Kaz never left his side the entire night, except to grab some cake from Allen when the bigger boy wasn't looking.**

 **Oliver rocked on his heels and looked around the lobby. "I'm gonna go take a walk. I need some time to clear my head."**

 **"I don't think you should be going-"**

 **"Kaz, I'm fine. I'll just walk around the hospital a few times, no biggie. See you later."**

 **When Oliver left, Skylar joined Kaz at the front desk. They watched the doors slide shut behind Oliver.**

 **"So what do you think?" Skylar asked.**

 **Kaz licked his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. "He'll be okay. I'll make sure of it."**

 **"Horace said he can stay at the hospital since he was kinda, almost, Oliver's stepdad."**

 **"That's perfect. Oliver's dad lives on the other side of town. He'd have to completely transfer schools and everything. I doubt I could handle that."**

 **"We have school tomorrow. Think he'll go?"**

 **"Probably. Him and his good boy habits keep him from skipping. It's boring sometimes. But I guess I'll let it slide this week."**

 **"How generous of you," Skylar deadpanned.**

 **Kaz shrugged. "I try."**

 **•••••••••••••••••**

 **"How many bones are in the human body?"**

 **Oliver sat back in his seat and sighed. He had the option of skipping out on school for the whole week, but his brain wouldn't let him accept it. Stupid brain. His heart was really begging for a bag of popcorn and a Tecton movie marathon. He looked to his right, where Kaz was dozing off, as usual. To his left, Skylar sat upright and took notes. Behind him, Gus made a plane out of macaroni. In front of him, Jordan drew a picture with black and grey sharpies. Everything seemed so normal, yet it felt like a completely different universe.**

 **"Kaz!" the teacher snapped, jerking the boy upright.**

 **"Two hundred and six!" Kaz exclaimed, looking around. He realized where he was and cleared his throat.**

 **The teacher blinked. "That's actually... Correct. Good job, Kaz." With a grin, Kaz accepted a half hearted high five from Oliver.**

 **"Oliver, why don't you tell the class how many bones are in the hand?" He paused, trying to think of an answer. Then a memory flashed through his mind and he frowned. He looked at his hands as they fiddled together and he slumped in his chair.**

 **"Twenty-seven," he answered, glancing at the teacher to see his reaction. The man nodded.**

 **"Are you alright, Oliver? Did that question hit a nerve?" He laughed, like the possibility was one in a million. But it wasn't.**

 **"Actually, yeah," Oliver responded with half a smirk, half a heart, half an emotion. "When I was seven, um, my mom broke her finger in a wreck. I was so worried about her," he paused to laugh, because now the thought of worrying about her seemed ridiculous, "but she told me not to be scared because she still had twenty-six working bones in her hand."**

 **"What an interesting approach to reassuring a kid."**

 **Oliver pressed his lips together. "Yeah," he agreed, "my mom sure is an interesting person." He felt the stares of Skylar and Kaz, along with the rest of the class. They knew something was wrong. And they wouldn't stop staring. He didn't like it. "Can I go to the bathroom?"**

 **The teacher nodded and Oliver gathered his things. He left before Kaz could reach out and stop him. The teacher was confused as the student left with his bag and books. A second later, he was yelling down the hall, trying to call Kaz back into his classroom.**

 **"I'm fine, Kaz," Oliver said as he rounded the corner. He didn't even turn to look back at his best friend. He pushed open the front door and stormed down the steps. Kaz was hot on his trail. He managed to grab Oliver's arm when they reached the street.**

 **"Kaz, I told you-" Kaz cut him off with a hug. A tight hug. The kind that says 'I know you're not fine and that's okay.' Oliver's body stiffened, then relaxed. He rested his forehead on Kaz's shoulder and stood there for a moment before returning the hug.**

 **"I told you not to come today," Kaz breathed.**

 **"Well I honestly didn't expect _that_ to happen." Kaz smirked and pulled away. **

**"Okay, new plan: We're going to go back to the hospital and watch Tecton movies all day and you're not coming back here until you're ready."**

 **With a smile, Oliver nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. Lets go home."**


	2. Chapter 2

So I actually wasn't planning on continuing this, but a few people seemed to like it a lot and I realized just how much stuff I could do with this idea. I think I'll lead it up to Mighty Med actually being destroyed, and the characters' reactions and stuff. Anyways, hope you enjoy and tell me what you think! :)

* * *

Oliver woke in a cold sweat late one night. His clock across the room beamed red numbers that showed the time as 2:37 AM. He slowly sat up and stretched. If tonight were like the others, he wouldn't get back to sleep. The same recurring nightmare was enough to startle him awake and keep him cowering in the shadows of his room until the sun rose. He contemplated sending Kaz a text, but decided he didn't want to bother him. So, he sat in his bed, rubbing his temples in a poor attempt to drown out the headache that was just forming.

A figure stepped through his open window. He didn't notice because he was too focused on his head. The figure crept toward his bed slowly, sidestepping every once in a while to avoid the loud floorboards. She'd done this enough to remember the pattern.

"Oliver," she sighed, standing at the foot of his bed. Oliver snapped his head up and looked around. She hid well into the darkness.

"Who's there?" he asked, pushing himself against his bed board. "Show yourself."

"Calm down," she said. His swore his heart stopped beating. Hesitantly, he leaned over and flicked the lamp on beside his table. It wasn't bright, but it provided just enough dim lighting to reveal his mother, in the flesh. He swallowed hard.

"What are you... What are you doing here?" His palms were sweaty and his body was shaking. He realized, with a sort of sadness, that he was scared of her.

"I came to check up on you. Just because I'm evil doesn't mean I'm not still your mother, you know."

"But how did you find me? You've never been to this house." About a week after everything happened and Oliver went to his dad's for spring break, he knew he had to come up with some lie after his dad asked why Bridget hadn't been answering his calls (He was curious about how the wedding went). So Oliver's dad now thinks Bridget is on a six month business trip in Turkey. He couldn't believe his dad bought it so easily, honestly.

"I followed your father when he first bought it. I mapped out your room before you had even moved in."

"That's kinda creepy," Oliver muttered. But he wasn't surprised, really. His mother is a strange being, that's for sure.

"Why are you up this late? You have school tomorrow." It was weird that, even after everything that happened, she still sounded like a regular old mom to Oliver. It was kind of comforting, actually. He missed her a lot.

"I just had a nightmare, that's all."

"Well, go get some water then back to bed! Don't think I won't punish you for bad grades anymore. Oh, there's something else I needed to tell you..." She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Oh! The attack on Mighty Med."

"The what?" Oliver's eyes widened.

"Yes, it'll be tragic in four months time when Mighty Med is blown to bits. I don't know by whom or why, though."

"That's... That's crazy! How could you possibly know that's going to happen?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out. Maybe. Just, be careful. I can't keep up an evil reputation if I'm saving you."

"Sorry for the inconvenience?" She sighed and walked around the side of the bed. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around her son and kissed his hair. He was frozen in place. His eyes fell shut and, after a few moments, he found himself hugging back. They stayed like that for a few seconds before she pulled away. Too quickly, in Oliver's opinion.

"Goodnight, Oliver," she whispered before disappearing into the darkness once again. He felt numb all over and instantly missed his mother's touch.

The rest of the night was filled with restlessness and a spark of fear in his heart.

•••••

"Hey Oliver," Skylar said as she and Kaz joined him at his locker. He leaned against the cool metal and absentmindedly shoved his backpack inside. His body felt heavy and his motions were sluggish. Skylar grimaced. "You look awful."

"Thanks," he deadpanned, shooting her a glare.

"Sorry. What I meant was… Did you get _any_ sleep last night?"

"Few hours. Then I got another nightmare." _And a surprise visit_ , he added in his head.

"Dude, you shoulda texted me. My little brother kept me up basically the whole night talking to his stupid pet rats. I hope they get out and the neighborhood cat finds them," Kaz said bitterly, scowling at nothing in particular.

"I was busy trying to get back to sleep," Oliver lied, closing his locker.

"Hey, I gotta go ask my teacher about my grade. I'll catch you guys later!" Skylar said just before walking off. Kaz began to head to his class when Oliver caught his arm.

"My mom visited me last night," Oliver whispered like it was a huge secret. Kaz's jaw dropped.

"What? How'd she find you?" So Oliver explained everything that happened last night, from his mother's creepy entrance to the attack on Mighty Med. Kaz listened intently and hung onto every word. When Oliver finished, Kaz let out a heavy sigh.

"That's…."

"Insane? Unbelievable?"

"Yeah. But how could she possibly know about anything that happens in the future? I bet she's trying to trick you."

"I don't know, she sounded pretty sincere."

"Of course she did! She's your _mother_ , after all."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think you're letting your feelings cloud your judgement, _again_."

"I am not." Oliver scratched his chin. "I'm just trying to think reasonably here. Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe... Maybe she was trying to warn us."

" _Warn us_? Oliver, she's a villain! Warning us is helping us, and villains don't help people. That's How To Be A Villain 101."

"But she wasn't always a villain."

"Wasn't she? Dude, she made you wear a life jacket in the bathtub."

Oliver licked his lips and shrugged. "Maybe she's just trying to protect me."

Kaz laughed humorlessly. "You are so naive sometimes. She has the advantage here! You will believe anything if it means she's still your mother."

"Because she is!"

"No she's not! Oliver, she'a a villain! She cares for no one but herself!" Oliver hadn't realized they had raised their voices until he looked around at all the kids staring at them. Jaw clenched and teeth grinding, Oliver turned away from his best friend and stormed out of the building.

Kaz watched him go, but didn't bother stopping him. They both needed to cool off. With a huff, Kaz walked the other way.

•••••

"Mighty Med destroyed?" Skylar asked, her eyes wide. She and Kaz were sitting at the lunch table, discussing what Oliver had told Kaz. He unwillingly told her about their fight after she threatened to shove a corndog up his nose. She still tried to do it afterward, too.

"Yeah. I don't think it's gonna happen, though. Why would his mom warn him about it?"

"Maybe she really was trying to look out for him. You shouldn't have said she's not his mom anymore, by the way. You know how hard he's taking this."

Kaz pursed his lips and looked around the cafeteria. "I know. I just-" He sighed. "He's so naive sometimes! It'll get him killed one of these days."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe he misses his mom so much that he's holding onto whatever possibility there is that she might still care for him. But you can't just point that out in front of everybody!"

"Nobody even knows what we're talking about! Besides, what am I supposed to do? Let him walk around town with the idea that his mom is still good when she could be plotting to hurt and, what? Let him have some trial and error runs? No, I don't think so."

Skylar pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, this might be a trap. But it might not. We're not going to figure it out like this. You need to apologize to Oliver. And then we need to figure this out, _together_."

Kaz rubbed his face. "I hate it when you're right."

Skylar grinned. "But it's amazing, right?" He just looked at her.

•••••

Kaz and Skylar found Oliver at The Domain, staring at a cup of water. Skylar was a bit confused, but Kaz didn't really pay any attention.

"Oliver," he sighed, sitting next to his best friend, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

Oliver tore his eyes from the glass to look at Kaz. "It's okay. You're right, anyways. I am letting my emotions cloud my judgement. I just… I want her to be good again so badly."

"I know you do. And it'll happen one day, just not right now. Right now, we have to focus on Mighty Med and who wants to destroy it, assuming that that's reliable information."

"Yeah, I agree. But Kaz, you _have_ to see this!" Oliver excitedly picked up the glass of water. Kaz and Skylar eyed it suspiciously.

"A glass of water?" Kaz asked.

"For the moment, yeah. But check this out!" Oliver touched the side with a single finger, and a spiderweb of frost stretched across the glass. Ice grew from the bottom and climbed to the top of the liquid, freezing every last drop.

"Whoa!" Kaz gasped.

"You have ice powers!" Skylar exclaimed.

Oliver beamed. "Yup! I figured it out on my walk home and a dog who'd just rolled in mud shook water at me. The water froze in mid air and turned into ice cubes. It was crazy."

"Hm, wonder if I'll get any new powers," Kaz muttered, staring at his hands.

"Probably," Skylar chuckled. "This is weird. You guys made up without hugging."

"Hey, you're right." Oliver stood and pulled Kaz to his feet. "Group hug!" With groans of disapproval, Oliver tugged his friends into a tight hug. Eventually, Skylar and Kaz gave in and they stood in the middle of the store, in a tight embrace.


	3. Chapter 3

"What'd you guys get on that math test?" Skylar asked before taking a sip of her chocolate smoothie. Oliver shrugged and ate a bite of his cake batter ice cream and scrolled through his phone. Kaz sat down, sniffing whatever was in his cup. Oliver looked at him funny.

"Are you smelling your drink?" he asked, peering at the odd, fizzy liquid in the cup.

"Yeah. The guy who sold it to me said it was bubble gum licorice flavored."

Oliver scrunched up his nose in disgust. "That sounds terrible." Kaz took a big gulp and, almost immediately, turned and spat it back out. Oliver cringed away from him. Kaz sat back up and coughed. He looked like he'd just eaten the world food on the planet.

"The aftertaste isn't that bad," he admitted with a smile.

"You're weird," Skylar declared, shaking her head. "So the test. How'd you guys do?"

"I got a D+!" Kaz said proudly. He looked at Oliver. "And let me guess, _you_ got an A, right?"

Oliver tapped his spoon against his bowl and didn't meet either of his friends' eyes. "I actually got a D-."

Skylar blinked. Kaz looked over at her in surprise. Usually, Oliver scored pretty well on his tests. It was a rare occasion when he did poorly.

"Barely passing is supposed to be my thing," Kaz whined. "Are you feeling okay?" He leaned over and pressed the back of his hand to Oliver's forehead.

"M'fine, just haven't been able to focus. My dad got a new girlfriend who _loves_ to drink every night. And she's an annoying drunk."

"I could tutor you if you want," Skylar offered.

Oliver beamed. "Of course! Yes! I, uh, mean… Yeah, that'd be cool," he scoffed, "I guess."

Skylar rolled her eyes. "How are you doing in your other classes?" Oliver didn't answer and, instead, shoveled spoonfuls of ice cream into his mouth. The cold made him shiver and froze his brain, but it beat answering her question.

Kaz took the cup before Oliver could take another bite. "Stop stalling. Are you failing other classes?"

"Maybe a few," Oliver admitted quietly. "Mom always used to help me with my homework. And I know, I know, it's been three weeks since everything happened, but it's still hard. Plus, my dad is as good at school as Kaz."

Skylar smiled. "Don't worry, I'll get you back to being a straight A student in no time."

"Do you guys hear sizzling?" Kaz asked. Oliver looked at him oddly.

"Sizzling?" he repeated. Then, he saw steam rise from his ice cream cup. His eyes widened. "Kaz!" Kaz's eyes dropped to the ice cream, and he immediately pushed it away. It spilled and ran across the table. Bubbles popped and the liquid smelled like a burnt cake.

"Whoa!" Skylar gasped, throwing some napkins across it. The steam broke through the cloth and the paper seemed to shrivel up and disappear.

"How did you do that?" Oliver asked, turning to Kaz.

"I-I don't know!"

"You must have heat powers!" Skylar realized. "How expected. You two are already as different as fire and ice."

"Let me try to cool it down," Oliver said, holding his hand over the spill. Skylar and Kaz watched around them for anyone who might see Oliver use his powers. He took a deep breath and felt a cold tingle through his fingertips. The spill frosted over and left a shiny, clear layer in its place. Oliver frowned and poked it. Frozen solid.

"Well, at least, it stopped sizzling," Kaz said, staring at it. "I say we run before anyone notices."

"Good idea," Skylar agreed, grabbing her bag.

"Don't worry, Oliver. We'll help you get your grades back up," Kaz promised.

"You mean I'll help him get his grades up and you'll be… What, supervising?" Skylar asked with a smirk.

"I'll be the food provider, which is just as important." The friends laughed and escaped the scene before anybody could question the boiling ice cream spill.

* * *

Okay, so this was not my best work. Really, it was kinda more like a filler kinda chapter. I worked on this for a while, trying to improve it, but this is what it came up as. I swear, the next will be better. Anyways, thanks for the reviews! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, I feel a lot better about this one. One more chapter and this book's over! Hope you all enjoy :)

* * *

"Have you talked to any superheroes about what Bridget said?" Kaz asked as he turned the dial on his locker. Skylar sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

"Yeah. Nobody has heard anything about villains planning an attack. Maybe she was just trying to throw Oliver off." And as if hearing his name, Oliver himself skid around the corner and ran into a wall. His shoulder bounced off the concrete and he was running again, attracting the attention of the entire hallway. He saw his friends and immediately scrambled behind them for protection.

"What the heck?" Kaz asked, looking back at his friend.

"She's gonna kill me!" Oliver exclaimed, hanging onto Kaz's shoulders with a death grip.

Skylar's eyes widened in alarm. "Your mom?"

"Worse!"

Jordan stomped around the corner, seething with anger. Coffee ran down her face, dripped off her chin, and flattened her hair. Kaz's shoulders tensed. Skylar's jaw dropped. Oliver's heart felt like it was going to explode.

"OLIVER!" Jordan screamed, bolting at him. Oliver screamed, but out of fear, and ran the other way. Skylar and Kaz caught Jordan's arms as she passed and managed to (somehow) slow her to a stop. She was breathing hard and her body was trembling in anger.

"Okay, chill out! What happened?" Skylar asked, glancing over her shoulder to see if Oliver was still in sight.

"He was helping me with my science project! I was testing how much cups of coffee it takes to make somebody restless for three days. I left him in the science room for three freaking minutes, and when I came back, he threw a cup of coffee in my face!"

"Why?" Kaz asked, completely confused.

"Beats me! All I know is he'll be headless by the time I'm done with him!" With a sudden burst of anger, she shoved the two away and raced down the hall. Kaz watched her disappear around the corner and sigh.

"Maybe Oliver was just tired of the coffee," Kaz suggested with a shrug.

"No way. Oliver wouldn't do that, not to anyone. Something's going on, and we're gonna find out what."

"You mean we're gonna skip next period and miss our big chemistry exam?" Kaz asked with a sigh. Skylar nodded. Kaz beamed, "I am _so_ in!"

•••••

"It's lunch and I haven't seen either of them." Kaz impatiently bounced his leg. "What if she already decapitated him and disposed of his head."

"Kaz, be serious. If she decapitated him, she would keep the head as a prize." He nodded, agreeing with her.

"Hey guys," Jordan said, coming up behind Kaz.

"Hey. So, are you keeping his head in a trophy case or did you decide to mount it on the wall?" Kaz asked, only half serious.

"Both are good ideas, but neither. He explained himself and I calmed down."

"I didn't think anyone could calm you down in that state. Remember last year when you smashed that teacher's windshield with your bare hand for giving you an F?" Kaz asked before taking a drink of milk.

Jordan laughed and smiled at a light as she reminisced the memories. "Good times. But yeah, I wasn't going to let him off _easy_ , but I guess an anxiety attack is as good an excuse as any."

Skylar asked, "What's an anxiety attack?"

Kaz frowned. "It's where your brain kinda has a meltdown and your body goes into panic. Jordan, did he say why he had one?"

The blonde studied the two carefully. "Well, he made me swear not to tell you guys… He said it was his mom's fault."

"His mom?" Kaz pressed. "He doesn't live with his mom anymore, you know that." He very clearly remembered telling Gus and Jordan that Oliver's mom was on a business trip.

"Well, yeah, but I swear that's what he said. He said that she called him earlier and what she said made him freak out, and he thought it was her when I walked in the room."

"Where is he now?" Skylar demanded.

"Library."

"I'll go talk to him," Kaz told Skylar as he gathered his trash and stood. Skylar nodded and proceeded to change the topic before Jordan could ask about anything.

•••••••

Oliver was on the second floor on the library, in the furthest back corner, between a wall and a bookshelf. Kaz looked around the library, trying to decide the best way to find his best friend. He figured Oliver would be on the second floor, furthest from anyone trying to look for him, so he climbed the stairs first. Once he reached the top, he whipped out his phone and dialed Oliver's number.

The ringtone blared through the quiet library. Oliver jumped in alarm and hit his head on the bookshelf. Kaz smirked and followed the noise. Oliver didn't even bother turning off his phone. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he actually did want some company in his dark corner.

"Hey bud," Kaz greeted when he finally found Oliver. The phones turned off and they were left in silence once again. Kaz sat indian style and leaned on his elbows.

"Guess Jordan told you," Oliver sighed, resting his head on the wall.

"Yup."

"You know I'm okay, right? I'm getting better."

Kaz smiled. "I know you are."

"No, really, I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle. It's been a month, my grades are getting better, and I'm fine. … Did I really just say 'fit as a fiddle?'"

"You had a panic attack."

"It wasn't really a panic _attack_ , more of just a small bit of panic. Not even panic, really. Just a tiny moment of shock."

"Oliver," Kaz sighed. Oliver closed his eyes in defeat. It didn't matter how many times he had practiced lying in the mirror, or how many times the people around him actually believed him. His best friend always, _always_ saw right through him.

"She told me it's happening soon," Oliver said quietly, opening his eyes. "The attack, I mean. It's happening sooner than she planned."

"Skylar told me the other superheroes haven't heard any villains talking about it. We both think your mom was-"

"Great, it's just me against the world again."

"Whoever said it was just you?"

"I did, the second everyone started saying my mom's evil now."

"She is-"

"No she's not!" Oliver shouted. Kaz reached out and grabbed his ankle.

"Hey, calm down. We don't want the librarian coming up here, right?"

Oliver sniffed and wiped his eyes. He could feel tears starting to form, and that was the last thing he needed. "She's not evil, Kaz. The power that's inside of her… That's where the evil is." Kaz wanted to say that that still meant she was evil, but he stopped himself. Oliver was _tired_. It was clearly written across his face. There were bags under his eyes, his moves were sluggish, and he looked like he hadn't slept in two days (although that could be Jordan's fault).

"I was scared," Oliver said after a few minutes. Kaz wordlessly watched him. "That's why I had a panic attack. She scared me. I don't know if there really is going to be an attack, honestly. I don't believe her, but I don't _not_ believe her, you know? I don't know what to think anymore." He stared at his hands.

"It's been a month," Kaz breathed, picking at the carpet beneath him. "I had never seen you like that. You were always the calm and collected guy, always knew what to do in tough situations and always knew how to get out of them. Then suddenly… Our roles were switched. You were the one freaking out, having nightmares, dropping grades…" Kaz swallowed hard and looked over at him. Oliver raised his head to meet his best friend's gaze. In a steady voice, Kaz admitted, "I honestly had no idea what to do. Neither did Skylar. We were at a loss for words. But she said we should take it day by day and we did. I know you're getting better, dude. I'm proud of you, Oliver. You don't have to know what happens in the future. None of us do. We've got each other, and that's all we need."

Oliver smiled. "Thanks, Kaz. I didn't know you could be so sappy and heartfelt."

Kaz grimaced. "Neither did I. It feels gross." Oliver laughed. "Now, do you plan on moving anytime soon?"

"I don't think so. I've grown quite fond on my corner."

"Then move over." It was a bit of a snug fit, but not terribly bad. The two boys sat there, between the bookshelf and the wall, in silence. The coffee started to wear off around fifth period, and Oliver's head fell on Kaz's shoulder. Kaz didn't mind, though, because he was too busy playing on his phone. Skylar texted just then.

Skylar:

 _Everything's all right?_

Kaz:

 _Everything's all right._


	5. Chapter 5

"Kaz, it's okay. I don't need a babysitter," Oliver said as he walked to his locker. Kaz rolled his eyes and leaned against a locker beside Oliver's.

"You do if you think going in the first place is a good idea!"

Oliver groaned. "Look, you don't believe my mom is telling the truth and neither does Skylar. So don't come! It's okay, I can handle myself."

"I'm still not too sure about that," Kaz admitted, studying the boy carefully. Oliver sighed, dropped his head, then looked at his friend.

"Kaz, it's been two months. I'm fine. No, I'm better than fine. I'm great! I'm back to normal! I'm going to meet her later."

"No, you're not," Kaz snapped. "This could be dangerous. You're not going alone so therefore, you're not going." Kaz knew he had gone completely mother hen about this situation, but he was just trying to protect Oliver.

"But imagine, for a split second, that she really is telling the truth. She might give us important info we need to save Mighty Med!" Oliver looked at his best friend pleadingly, but Kaz wasn't giving in. After a few seconds, Oliver sighed and closed his locker. "Whatever," he muttered, walking away.

"What's his deal?" Skylar asked as she joined Kaz.

"He's mad neither of us will go with him to see his mom after school Kaz explained. "And I might've also told him he can't go alone."

Skylar nodded understandingly. "Ah, so you're taking the Mother Hen approach to this."

"I didn't know what else to do! He can't go alone, who knows what'll happen?"

"Exactly. But don't worry, there's no way he can skip out on school. Not with a bunch of students and teachers around."

"Yeah, you're right." Kaz chuckled. "Knowing him, he'd probably slip on some water or run right into the principal trying to escape." Skylar laughed with him, imagining it.

•••••

Oliver sighed and concentrated on the lock. In the short month and a half he'd had his powers, he didn't really focus on controlling them too much. Neither did Kaz, honestly. Both just had a ball messing with people or making their own food. It was times like these, though, that Oliver really had wished he had practiced more. Because trying to focus on freezing the crooks of a lock was a lot more focus than he had originally planned.

After a good ten minutes of trying, arms of ice began to stretch across the lock beneath the handle. Oliver grinned proudly as he watched an icy coat cover the small keyhole. Then, he turned to the vacant classroom. If somebody found him doing this (messing with a locked classroom and sabotaging the lock itself), he'd get expelled for sure. But with no teachers or no friends to stop him, he seemed to be in the clear.

He pushed the first window open with ease and tossed his bag outside. The classroom was located at the back of the school, on the first floor. It was the second to last from the back end of the school, so he could reach the meeting spot easily. Bridget agreed it'd be safer for both of them if they met in a secluded area in the forest, which just so happened to be behind Oliver's school.

He went out head first, with his arms outstretched and ready to catch the rest of his body when he made it through the window fully. He fell to the ground with a soft thud and was back on his feet in seconds, Quickly, he pushed the window shut again and spirited for the woods. The class next door was Gus and Jordan's math class. They sat at at the back, closest to the window.

Gus turned around just as Oliver was creeping past the window. The teacher was turned to the board, scribbling notes across the blackboard. Gus's eyes widened and he waved enthusiastically. Oliver waved back nervously, then carried on his way.

He leaned against a tree trunk and sighed in relief when he had finally cleared the school grounds. As he set off into the woods, he silently prayed Gus wouldn't tell anyone what he saw.

•••••

"Outside?" Skylar asked, her eyes widening as she listened to Gus. Kaz was calling Oliver to tell him Horace needed them at the hospital, but Oliver wasn't answering. s

"Yeah! He waved at me, but looked like he was hiding some giant secret."

"He was obviously sneaking out and was afraid you'd tell on him. And, oh look! You did," Jordan deadpanned. "I can't believe he thought of climbing out a window before I did."

"You think that's how he did it?" Kaz wondered, looking at her.

"Duh. There're no doors that lead outback except in the kitchen, but that one leads to the parking lot."

Skylar leaned toward Kaz, "I'll bet he's going to see his mom." Both teens looked at the digital clock on the wall. _3:30_. Kaz nodded at Skylar.

"Well, we gotta go. Running, studying, ya know…" Kaz said before leaving with an unsure look on his face. Skylar nodded, as if Kaz's explanation made perfect sense, and followed him.

"Think she's already there?" Skylar asked as they ran.

"Let's hope not," Kaz breathed, jumping over a tree root.

•••••

"You skipped class?" Bridget cackled. "Why, you're becoming more like me everyday." She reached a hand out to caress Oliver's cheek, but the boy flinched and stepped away. She froze and slowly drew her hand back. He glanced at his feet for a moment before looking back at her again.

"I just skipped the last ten minutes of class. Can you just tell me what you know about the attack?" he asked, his voice firm and serious. She sighed and looked around. _They should be here_ , she thought impatiently.

"You didn't come with your friends. Why?"

"They don't trust you."

" _Me_?" She placed a hand over her heart and feigned hurt. "That's absurd."

Oliver snickered, by the humor didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, I wonder why."

"This is nice, isn't it?"

"What is? Meeting in the forest to discuss potential deadly plans?"

"No. This, us, being together. Joking like we used to."

Oliver sighed heavily. "Please, just tell me what you know so I can get back before anyone notices."

Leaves and tree branches cracked to her right. Both turned to see two figures racing toward them. Bridget smiled. _There they are_.

"Gus told you," Oliver guessed.

"Duh," Skylar answered. Oliver shook his head. Kaz slapped his shoulder.

"I told you not to come here alone! Look around! This is the worst place to be alone with a villain. She could kill you, bury your body, and nobody would know," he scolded.

Bridget took a step forward and smirked. "Ooh, I see the mother hen is getting angry."

"Okay, yes, I'm acting like a mother hen, sue me! I'm trying to protect my best friend, so get away from him before I burn your hair off," Kaz growled, stepping between Oliver and Bridget. Skylar stepped up beside Kaz and joined in on his cold glare toward Bridget.

"Whoa there, calm down. I'm not doing anything wrong here. I just wanted to see my son again."

"You saw him," Kaz snapped.

"Now leave," Skylar finished.

"Wait, no, tell us what you know about the attack."

Bridget smiled. "I know it's already happened. It happened three minutes ago."

Although he had had doubts about the entire thing for a while, Kaz's heart dropped. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

"Mo- Um, Bridget?" Oliver asked quietly.

"I knew that you two would follow Oliver if it had to do with me, so I left him a fake note in his room saying I had new info about the attack. I had to draw you three out here and away from Mighty Med."

"Why?" Skylar asked. Oliver had stepped away to try and call Horace.

"Like I said, I do all this to protect Oliver."

"But why would you include us?" Kaz asked. He glanced back at Oliver, and his fear grew as he watched Oliver's frustrated face become more and more desperate.

"He's still my son, obviously. Even though I have never liked you, Kaz, I still want him to be happy."

"You're a villain," Skylar argued.

"Evil villains have family they care about."

"Guys, Horace's isn't picking up," Oliver said, his voice quivering with panic.

•••••

Neither Oliver nor Skylar nor Kaz had ever witnessed the destruction of a war zone before, but they'd all agree the sight before them was what it'd look like. Three teenagers, three sophomores in high school, stood before a graveyard of debris and bones. The building was still smoking heavily. None of the teens could distinguish what was part of the building and what was part of the road. No wait, the road wasn't seen at all. Neither was the sidewalk. Nothing that truly seemed normal and in place seemed to survive the attack.

Except a single tower behind all the damage, where patients' rooms or offices probably were. Pieces were chipped off the sides, but overall it was still strong. Plastered across the front was the Mighty Med symbol, blackened and beat.

Wind howled softly around them. They split up, each taking a side to try and sort through. Oliver went to the left, Skylar to the right, and Kaz to the middle. They didn't talk to each other, either. No one really knew what to say. They were stunned into silence. Nobody made it more than three feet in. Oliver looked down and swore his heart stopped. Slowly, he squatted down and plucked a piece of paper from the debris. It was crumpled and dirty, but he managed to make out an unfinished drawing of Mighty Med in ruins, with two figures standing in the middle of it. His mouth went dry as he thought of Ambrose, and how he must've had a vision seconds before everything happened.

Skylar could feel tears running down her cheeks as she looked around her. The hospital had grown to be her home over the past two years, and now it was gone. And so was all her friends who she considered family. She choked out a sob when a picture sticking out from a pile of trash caught her eye. Carefully, she walked toward it, avoiding glass and sharp metal as she went. It was a clearly photographed picture of Philip, the doctor who was always insecure about how small his basketball sized head was, standing on stage holding an Oscar. He once said that his greatest fantasy was winning an award for the biggest head. She folded the picture up and stuck it in her pocket.

Kaz stared at the Mighty Med emblem. He shivered from the cool wind and the eery silence around him. His heart clenched as he thought of everyone who didn't make it out alive. With eleven siblings at home, Kaz never felt like he was ever really paid much attention to. But at Mighty Med, he was important. He helped saved lives, he fought villains, he had amazing superhero friends. Horace was always delighted when he and Oliver came to work. Allen, although didn't seem to like him very much, helped him out a couple times when trying to save the hospital. The staff and patients alike had grown to be extremely important parts of Kaz's life and now they're just… Gone.

Numbly, Kaz held his phone in his hands and snapped a picture of the aftermath. They met back a few feet from the debris. Skylar was quietly crying. Kaz's eyes were just on the brink of shedding tears. Oliver was folding the picture and pocketing it.

"What do we do now?" Skylar asked, her voice broken and uneven.

"We find the guys who did this, and make them pay," Kaz answered. His jaw was set and his voice was broken, too, but also serious. He'd never used that tone before, so it surprised all of them. But he was livid on the inside. He was determined to make whoever did this regret ever thinking of the plan.

"We're going to need some help," Oliver said with a shaky sigh. He looked between his two friends. They reminded him of himself when his parents divorced when he was younger, broken and confused and scared and angry. Of course, a divorce was nothing in comparison to this. "What if we ask those bionic kids from a while back? They might be able to help us track down the guys who did this."

Skylar nodded in agreement. "We'll call them tomorrow. But we better get out of here, whoever did this might still be around." Oliver nodded back at her. She began to walk away and Oliver followed her. But Kaz stayed rooted to the ground. Oliver looked back at him.

"Kaz?"

"How are we going to get through this?" Kaz asked. He looked back at Oliver with his cheeks stained with tears and his eyes red. "How are any of us going to be able to move on?"

"Baby steps," Oliver said. "We've got each other, and that's all we need. We'll get through this together." It felt odd that Kaz was just saying something similar to this a few weeks earlier. Scary how things can change so quickly.

Skylar, who'd noticed neither boy was following her, turned and rejoined them. Oliver looked between the two of them, then wrapped his arms around them. They huddled there in a hug mixed with many different emotions. They stared at the ground, each mind on a different thing.

When they all stepped back, Oliver was the only one who spoke, "Don't worry guys. We'll find whoever did this. They're not allowed to just walk away from this."

Kaz nodded at him and looked to Skylar. Skylar chewed on her lip and looked at Oliver. "Then I guess we'd better get started," she said, wiping her eyes and holding her chin high.

••••••••••••••••

That was probably a abrupt ending, sorry. But I hope I did okay on the last bit. I noticed that, in the first episode of Elite Force, Kaz seemed to be the one to take the attack the hardest. But yeah, that's it! Thanks for all the kind reviews, they made me smile! :)


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